Stage-to-Stage Conversion Rate
TL;DR
Stage-to-Stage Conversion Rate measures the percentage of deals that successfully move from one stage of your sales pipeline to the next. It’s essential for diagnosing pipeline health, identifying sales execution gaps, and improving forecast reliability. In B2B SaaS, it helps teams understand where deals are dropping off — and where to focus coaching, enablement, or process optimization.
What is Stage-to-Stage Conversion Rate?
This metric tracks the percentage of opportunities that progress from one sales stage to the next within a defined time period.
For example:
- Discovery → Demo
- Demo → Proposal
- Proposal → Closed Won
Each “jump” from one stage to the next has its own conversion rate. Together, they tell the story of how well your sales process is working at each point.
Formula:
Stage Conversion Rate = (Number of Opps Advancing to Next Stage ÷ Number of Opps Entering Current Stage) × 100
Example: If 80 deals enter the Demo stage, and 40 move to Proposal, your Demo-to-Proposal conversion rate is 50%.
Why It Matters in B2B SaaS
- It reveals friction points. Low conversion from Proposal to Contract? Your pricing or procurement process might need work.
- It sharpens rep coaching. Helps managers pinpoint where individual reps lose momentum.
- It improves forecast accuracy. High conversion from Proposal to Close means stronger late-stage forecast confidence.
- It validates qualification rigor. Low conversion from Discovery to Demo could mean poor lead quality or bad fit.
- It strengthens your playbooks. Teams can A/B test messaging and tactics by stage to increase progression rates.
How to Measure Stage-to-Stage Conversion Rate
- Define your sales stages clearly in the CRM
- Filter opportunities entering a specific stage during a defined time period
- Count how many progressed to the next stage
- Apply the formula
- Repeat for each stage transition (e.g., Discovery → Demo, Demo → Proposal, etc.)
Best Practices
- Measure conversions over consistent time windows. Monthly or quarterly helps identify trends
- Pair this with stage duration. Conversion rate + time spent = full context on friction
- Segment by rep, segment, and source. Not all stages perform the same across teams
- Use funnel visualizations to make patterns easy to spot in pipeline reviews
- Be honest about stalled opps. If deals haven’t moved in 45+ days, count them as drop-offs
Final Thought
Stage-to-Stage Conversion Rate is the heartbeat of your pipeline. It’s where strategy meets execution — and where deals either move or die. When you track this consistently, you’re not just counting deals — you’re building a repeatable sales engine that moves with purpose and precision.
FAQs
What’s a good benchmark for conversion rates?
It varies. Discovery-to-Demo might be 60–80%. Proposal-to-Close may range from 30–50% depending on deal size.
Should recycled or re-entered deals be included?
Only if they re-enter the funnel as truly re-qualified opportunities.
Can this be tracked in most CRMs?
Yes — tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Gong can report on stage conversions natively or with basic configuration.
How often should we review this?
Monthly is standard. High-velocity teams may review weekly in forecast and pipeline calls.
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Get fast, accurate intelligence across sales, marketing, and CX, without scaling headcount.